Beyond the Pink Ribbon: A Story of Strength, Survival, and Hope
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But for millions of women and families, breast cancer awareness is not confined to a single month. It is a reality that changes lives forever.
Behind every pink ribbon is a story.
A story of courage. Of uncertainty. Of appointments, treatments, sleepless nights, and the quiet strength it takes to face the unknown. There are stories of survival and celebration, but also stories of unimaginable loss.
At the Knock on Wood Foundation, Breast Cancer Awareness Month holds a particularly meaningful place in our hearts. Not only because of the patients and families we are committed to supporting, but because our own president, Kim Wood, is a breast cancer survivor.
Her story reminds us why awareness matters, why access to treatment matters, and why the work we do is so deeply personal.
A Survivor's Perspective: Our President, Kim Wood
For Kim Wood, breast cancer is more than a cause to advocate for. It is something she has experienced firsthand.
As a breast cancer survivor, Kim understands that receiving a diagnosis can change everything in an instant. Suddenly, life becomes filled with questions, difficult decisions, medical appointments, and an uncertainty that can be difficult to put into words.
A cancer diagnosis does not affect only the patient. It touches spouses, children, parents, friends, and entire families.
Surviving cancer is not simply about completing treatment. It is about navigating the emotional, physical, and personal challenges that come with it, and finding a way forward.
Today, as president of the Knock on Wood Foundation, Kim brings that perspective to a mission rooted in compassion, service, and hope.
The foundation was established in loving memory of her late husband, Tony Wood, turning a deeply personal loss into an opportunity to make a meaningful difference in the lives of others.
Kim's journey as a survivor adds another layer of purpose to that legacy.
She knows that behind every diagnosis is a human being who deserves to feel seen, supported, and understood.
And she knows that sometimes, the smallest act of kindness can make an extraordinary difference during someone's most difficult days. Her story is one of survival. Her leadership is one of purpose. And her commitment to helping others is a reminder that our hardest experiences can inspire meaningful change.
Beyond Treatment: The Burdens We Don't Always See
When we talk about cancer, much of the conversation understandably centers on medical treatment: chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, medications, and emerging therapies.
But what about everything happening outside the hospital?
What about the mother who must travel hundreds of miles to participate in a clinical trial? The family struggling to pay for temporary housing near a treatment center? The patient who must choose between missing work and attending another appointment?
For many families, the financial burden of cancer extends far beyond medical bills.
Transportation, lodging, groceries, childcare, and everyday living expenses can become overwhelming, particularly when treatment requires frequent travel or extended stays away from home.
For patients pursuing clinical trials, these challenges can be even more significant.
This is where the Knock on Wood Foundation hopes to make a difference.
Our mission is to help alleviate non-medical financial burdens for patients and families seeking potentially life-changing treatment, allowing them to focus more fully on their health and the people they love.
Because hope should not depend on someone's ability to afford a hotel room, a plane ticket, or the everyday costs of getting to treatment.
The Future of Breast Cancer Treatment: Why Clinical Trials Matter
Breast cancer research has made remarkable progress, but there is still so much work to be done.
Clinical trials are an essential part of that progress. They allow researchers to investigate new therapies, improve existing treatments, and better understand how different types of breast cancer respond to care.
Today, researchers are exploring promising approaches such as immunotherapy, targeted treatments, antibody-drug conjugates, and personalized treatment strategies.
For some patients, clinical trials may offer access to investigational treatments not yet widely available. They also contribute to the knowledge that may improve care for future generations. But finding an appropriate trial is only one part of the journey.
Getting there, staying near a treatment center, and managing the financial realities of participation can create additional barriers.
At the Knock on Wood Foundation, we believe that supporting access to clinical research means recognizing the whole patient, not just the diagnosis.
It means understanding that breakthroughs in medicine are most meaningful when patients have a fair opportunity to participate in the research that makes them possible.
Clinical Trials Offering New Possibilities
As of October 2026, several breast cancer clinical trials are listed as recruiting participants. These studies represent different approaches to improving treatment and expanding the options available to patients.
Here are three examples worth highlighting:
1. DESTINY-Breast15: Exploring Targeted Treatment for Metastatic Breast Cancer
This study is evaluating trastuzumab deruxtecan, an antibody-drug conjugate, in patients with certain HER2-low or HER2 IHC 0 metastatic breast cancers. Researchers are studying its safety and effectiveness, including how long patients benefit before needing another treatment.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05950945 · Listed as recruiting
2. TroFuse-011: Investigating New Treatments for Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
This Phase 3 trial is studying sacituzumab tirumotecan, alone or combined with pembrolizumab, compared with physician-selected treatment for certain patients with previously untreated, advanced triple-negative breast cancer.
The goal is to understand whether these approaches can improve outcomes, including survival.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT06841354 · Listed as recruiting
3. Sacituzumab Govitecan and Pembrolizumab: Studying Immunotherapy Combinations
This study, led by researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, is investigating sacituzumab govitecan with or without pembrolizumab for patients with metastatic, PD-L1-negative triple-negative breast cancer.
Research like this may help scientists better understand how different treatments can work together.
ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04468061 · Listed as recruiting
For patients and families interested in learning more, the National Cancer Institute's breast cancer clinical trial directory offers additional studies and information about research locations.
NCI
Clinical trial enrollment and eligibility can change. Patients should speak with their oncology team about whether a particular trial may be appropriate for their diagnosis and treatment history. Participation does not guarantee a medical benefit.
Making Hope More Accessible
For many patients, discovering a promising clinical trial can bring a renewed sense of possibility. But that possibility may come with difficult questions.
How will I travel to the treatment center? Where will my family stay? How will we manage our everyday expenses if I cannot work?
These are the questions that inspire our work at the Knock on Wood Foundation.
We believe that progress in cancer research must be accompanied by compassion for the people hoping to benefit from it.
Our vision is to help bridge the gap between medical opportunity and financial reality, providing meaningful support for the non-medical expenses that can make accessing treatment so challenging.
Because no family should have to face those obstacles alone.
This October, We Honor Every Story
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we celebrate survivors like our president, Kim Wood, whose strength and perspective remind us of the importance of this mission.
We stand beside those currently undergoing treatment, those facing a new diagnosis, those living with metastatic disease, and the families supporting them through every step.
We remember the lives lost to breast cancer and honor the loved ones who carry their memories forward.
And we recognize the researchers, medical professionals, caregivers, advocates, and charitable organizations working every day to create a future with better treatment options and greater access to care.
At the Knock on Wood Foundation, we believe awareness is only the beginning. What we do with that awareness is what creates change.
This October, we invite you to look beyond the pink ribbon. Learn about clinical trials. Encourage conversations about screening and early detection. Support someone navigating treatment. Share resources with a family who may need them. And consider becoming part of a mission dedicated to making the cancer journey a little less overwhelming.
Because behind every diagnosis is a life worth fighting for.
Behind every survivor is a story worth celebrating.
And behind every act of generosity is the possibility of making someone's hardest day a little easier.
Together, we can turn awareness into action, compassion into support, and hope into something tangible.
With love and hope,
Kim Wood, President, and the Knock on Wood Foundation
Honoring the fighters. Celebrating the survivors. Remembering the loved ones. Supporting the journey.
Every Day Is A Great Day!
Join us in making a difference. Support the Knock on Wood Foundation's mission to help patients and families navigate the non-medical financial burdens of accessing potentially life-changing treatment.
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